Slurry system for internal combustion engines



1964 w. R. CROOKS 3,145,694

SLURRY SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Sept- 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 1 OIL. SUPPLY TO on. sump NTAKE PASSAGE FRESH WATER SUPPLYASTE SEQUENCE CONTROLLER 8 ZTDEHL SLURRY PUMP INVENTOR WILLIAM R. CRooKsBY. 9 Q

ATTORN 5Y5 Aug. 25, 1964 W. R. CROOKS SLURRY SYSTEM FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Sept. 6, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

VVILLIAM R. Ckoot A-r'roRNEYS United States Patent s 145 694 sruunxsrsrEM rota uirnunat cor/iuusriou enemas The present invention relatesto internal combustion engines; and more particularly to an improvedinternal combustion engine which can burn fuels which containconsiderable amounts of sulfur and similar corrosive contaminants.

Oils and gases that contain sulfur, vanadium or sodium compounds arecomparatively plentiful and cheap. They have not been utilized as fuelfor internal combustion engines, however, because upon burning thecontaminants produce oxides which either are corrosive to iron andsteel, or produce oxides that are catalyzed by the iron and steelsurfaces of the engine into other oxides which are corrosive to iron andsteel in the presence of water vapor.

Sulfur compounds, for example, form sulfur dioxide when burned which,when in contact with the iron or steel surfaces of an internalcombustion engine, is catalytically converted into sulfur trioxide.Sulfur trioxide has a great aflinity for water vapor to form sulfuricacid which, of course, is very corrosive with respect to iron and steel.

It has been found that a certain group of materials when placed over theiron and steel surfaces of the engine greatly retard if not prevent thecatalytic conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide. Thosematerials which are non-catalytic with respect to the conversion ofsulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide can be easily determined, and thisgroup, although not limited to the following materials, will includecalcium oxide, magnesium oxide, nickel oxide, sodium carbonate, and ingeneral, those materials which form what are known as basic oxides. Itis known that these materials prevent the catalytic conversion of sulfurdioxide to sulfur trioxide rather than merely neutralize the sulfuricacid when formed, because a much smaller amount of these materials isrequired to protect the engine than would be stoichiometrically requiredto neutralize the sulfuric acid which can form from the quantity ofsulfur in the fuel.

These materials not only prevent the catalytic conversion of sulfurdioxide to sulfur trioxide but also prevent the direct contact andensuing reaction of vanadium and sodium compounds with the steel andiron surfaces of the engine.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is theprovision of a new and improved method of preventing the corrosion of atleast portions of the gas handling system of an internal combustonengine which includes the intake passages, combustion chamber, andexhaust passages of the engine.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an internalcombustion engine having new and improved means for protecting theengine and prolonging its useful life by depositing and maintaining athin layer or coating of a material which is non-catalytic with respectto the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfur tz'ioxide on those partsof the engine which are normally subjected to the corrosive attack ofsulfur trioxide fumes and other contaminants.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment described with referenceto the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the upper portion of the cylinder chamberof an internal combustion engine-the view includes a diagrammaticpresentation of a slurry pumping system for injecting a slurry of amaterial which will form a coating on the exposed engine parts that isnon-catalytic with respect to the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfurtrioxide into the top portion of the cylinder chamber;

FIG. 2 is a vertical, sectional view of the pumping device that is usedto inject the slurry into the cylinder; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View through the exhaust valve seat inthe engine shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown therein a cylinderblock 10 having a cylinder chamber 11 therein in which a piston 12 isadapted to reciprocate. The upper end of the cylinder chamber 11 isclosed off by a cylinder head 13 having an intake passage 14 whichcommunicates with the top portion of the cylinder chamber 11. Thecylinder head 13 also has an exhaust passage 15 therein for conductingthe exhaust gases out of the cylinder chamber 11. Intake valve seat 16and exhaust valve seat 17 are provided in the cylinder 11 in the usualmanner. An intake valve 18 is provided with a poppet head 19 for seatingon the intake valve seat 16 and a stem portion 20 that extends up out ofthe cylinder head 13 to be actuated by a suitable cam 21. An exhaustvalve 22 having a poppet head portion 23 adapted to seat on the exhaustvalve seat 17, and a stern portion 24 which extends out of the cylinderhead 13 to be actuated by means of a suitable cam 25.

The internal combustion engine shown in the drawing is a superchargedone in which the intake valve 18 begins to open at approximately beforetop dead center of the piston 12 during the exhaust stroke when theexhaust valve 22 is open. Inasmuch as the system is supercharged,pressure from the intake passage 14 causes fresh air to sweep out thetop portion of the cylinder chamber 11 and carry the swept gases outthrough exhaust passage 15. In the same engine the exhaust valve 22 isadapted to close approximately 80 after top center during the succeedingintake stroke when the piston 12 is moving downwardly in the cylinderchamber 11.

According to the present invention a material which is non-catalyticwith respect to the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide, orone which prevents the conversion of the sulfur dioxide to sulfurtrioxide is injected into the internal portions of the engineperiodically during the operation of the engine. The slurry may beinjected onto the exhaust valve seat directly so as to protect theexhaust valve, and its seat, as well as the exhaust valve passage; butin the preferred arrangement is injected into the intake passage 14 ofthe engine at a time when both the intake and exhaust valves are open soas to not only coat the exhaust valve 22 and its exhaust passage 15, butthe entire internal surfaces of the engine adjacent the top of thecylinder chamber 11.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 for accomplishing the injection of theslurry into the top portion of the combustion chamber generallycomprises a metering pump 26 for injecting the slurry into the intakepassage 14 through its slurry nozzle 27. Inasmuch as slurries involvethe suspension of heavy solids in aqueous solutions, the solids of theslurry tend to settle out when the slurry is allowed to set for anylength of time. This being true, the metering pump 26 is supplied with aslurry from a system which recirculates a stream of slurry past themetering pump to keep the slurry in motion. The slurry system shown inthe drawing comprises a slurry tank 28 having a mixer 29 therein to keepthe solids of the slurry in suspension in the tank. A slurry pump 30takes suction on the slurry tank 28 and delivers its discharge throughconduit 31 to a two-way valve 32, which in one of its'positionscommunicates the slurry from the pump through supply line 33 to themetering pump 26. The slurry which is supplied to the line 33 is adaptedto flow past the metering pump 26 to a return conduit 34 and back to theslurry tank 28.

The metering pump 26 comprises a cylinder body section 35 (see FIG. 2)having a vertically extending stepped pumping chamber 36 therein. Theupper portion of the chamber 36 is counter bored as at 37 to provide anouter pumping chamber in the counter bored section, for reasons whichwill later be explained, and another pumping chamber 38 in the bottom ofthe stepped pumping chamber 36. A stepped piston 39 is provided in thestepped pumping chamber 36, so that its upper portion 40 sealinglyengages the sidewalls of the counter bored section 37 and the lowerportion 41 of the stepped piston 39 sealingly engages the sidewalls ofthe lower pumping chamber 38. The bottom of the lower pumping chamber 38is provided with an outlet 42 which has an enlarged check valve chamber43 therein forming a valve seat 44 against which a check valve 45 isurged by the coil spring 46. A suitable conduit 47 communicates thecheck valve chamber 43 to the spray nozzle 27 in the intake passage 14.

The stepped piston 39 is shown in its normal retracted position in FIG.2 of the drawings. An annular groove 48 is provided in the side walls ofthe lower pumping chamber 38 immediately below the normal retractedposition of the lower portion 41 of the piston 39, and the slurry supplyline 33 is continually communicated to the annular groove 48 through asuitable passage 49 in the cylinder body section 35. The slurry from thesupply line 33 therefore is free to fill the lower pumping chamber 38 ofthe metering pump 26. The annular groove 48 is also continuallycommunicated to the return conduit 34 by means of the passageway 50 inthe body section 35, so that a flow of the slurry is permitted past thelower pumping chamber 38 to prevent settling out of the slurry. Upondownward movement of the lower portion 41 of the stepped piston 39, thesidewalls of the lower portion 41 slide past the groove 48 to seal offthe lower portion of the chamber 33 from the slurry supply line 33 andexhaust line 34 to force fluid out past the check valve 45 to the nozzle27. After a predetermined downward movement, a venting passage 51 whichextends axially from the bottom end of the lower piston portion 41 to alateral opening in the sidewalls of the lower portion 41 of the pistoncomes into communication with the annular groove 48 to terminate thepumping action by communicating the pressure within the lower portion ofthe pumping chamber 38 to the return line 34. This serves the additionalfunction of removing trapped slurry from the bottom of the lower pumpingchamber 38 as will later be explained. The other function which theventing passage 51 performs is to terminate the pumping action to theslurry nozzle 27 at approximately 70 after top center of the piston 12.

In addition to spraying slurry into the intake passage 14 of the engine,the embodiment shown in the drawing is adapted to inject slurry directlyupon the exhaust valve seat 17 of the engine. The injection of theslurry onto the exhaust valve seat 17 is performed by the pumping actionbetween the counter bored section 37 of the stepped pumping chamber 36and the upper portion 40 of the stepped piston 39. The pumping actionproduced between the counterbore 37 and the upper portion of the piston40 is preferably so timed that it injects slurry onto the exhaust valveseat 17 at approximately 70 after top center of the piston 12 andcontinuing for approximately 20 to terminate 10 after closing of theexhaust valve 22. Slurry is admitted to the counterbore 37 by means of arecess 52 in the sidewalls of the counterbore 37, and to whichcounterbore 37, slurry from the supply line 33 is admitted throughpassageway 53. A continual flow of slurry through the recess 52 isprovided by means of a passageway 54 which communicates with the returnconduit 34 to prevent settling out of the slurry in the counterbore 37.Fluid pumped from the counterbore 37 flows through the passageway 55communicating with the bottom of the counterbore to a supply conduit 56leading to a passage 57 (see FIG. 3) that communicates with a recess 58in the bottom'of the valve seat insert 17. The valve seat of the insert17 is provided with a small annular recess 59 therein to which slurryfrom the recess 53 is communicated by a longitudinal passage 60 and asmall orifice 61. The orifice 61 is very close to the valve seat 17 sothat gases flowing past the valve seat 17 tend to keep the orifice 61clean. The timing of the pumping action to the closing of the exhaustvalve seat is had by positioning the recess 52 in the sidewalls of thecounterbore 37 at such a point that the enlarged upper portion 40 of thestepped piston 39 just closes off the recess 52 at approximately 70after top center of the piston 12. Pumping action continues for thebalance of the downward stroke of the stepped piston 39 which terminatesat approximately 90 degrees after top dead center.

The injection of slurry into the internal combustion engine need not becontinuous in all engines, and in the engine shown in the drawing isadapted to be injected intermittently throughout the operation of theengine. The pumping action of the metering pump 26 as shown in thedrawing is controlled by means of a hydraulic cylinder 62 which isfastened to the upper end of the cylinder body section 35 by means of anannular spacer 63 and h0lddown bolt 64. The hydraulic pumping cylinder62 is provided with an axially extending pumping chamber 65 into thebottom end of which the upper end of the stepped piston 39 sealinglyprojects. The upper end of the pumping chamber 65 is closed off by meansof a pumping piston 66, the top portion of which is contacted by meansof a suitable rotating cam 67 (see FIG. 1) which is contoured to startthe downward pumping action of the piston 66 at approximately 180 beforetop center and to cause the lower portion 41 of the stepped piston 39 toslide past the recess 48 at before top center. Oil is continuallysupplied to the pumping chamber 65 from the oil pump of the enginethrough the oil supply line 68. The pumping chamber 65 is alsocommunicated to the oil sump through the return line 69. The return line69 is provided with a shut-off valve 70, which valve 70 is closed whenit is desired to actuate the stepped piston 39, and which valve 7 0 isopened when it is desired to stop the pumping action of the steppedpiston 39. When the valve 70 is opened, no pressure can be built up inthe pumping chamber 65 by the pumping piston 66, so that the steppedpiston 39 remains in the position shown in the drawing wherein itscollar 71 is held into engagement with the bottom of the hydraulicpumping cylinder 62 by means of the coil spring 72.

As indicated above, the introduction of slurry into the engine shown inthe drawings is an intermittent one which is performed according to apredetermined cycle. At the end of the injection cycle, it is preferablethat the slurry lines be flushed out with water in order that the solidsof the slurry do not settle into the small pumping passageways when themetering pump 26 is not injecting the slurry into the engine. In thesystem shown in FIG. 1, a fresh water supply line 73 is communicated tothe two-way valve 32. The two-way valve 32 is rotated counterclockwiseafter the pumping cycle to communicate the fresh water supply line '73to the supply line 33. Fresh water is therefore swept past the pumpingchambers 37 and 38 of the metering pump 26 and through the returnconduit 34 to a two-way waste valve 74, which at this time is rotatedclockwise 90 to communicate the return conduit 34 to a waste line 75.The two-way waste valve 74 is preferably located very close to theslurry tank 28, and the two-way supply valve 32 is preferably locatedvery close to the discharge of the pump 30, so that substantially all ofthe slurry lines are flushed out by the flow of water. In addition, therecess 58 beneath the valve seat insert 17 is communicated to the returnconduit 34 through a passageway 76, conduit 77, and a shut-off valve 78,so that the slurry supply lines to the orifices 61 are also flushed outwith water. At the same time that the supply valve 32 and the wastevalve 74 are rotated for the water flushing action, the shut-off valve78 is opened so that the water pressure flows through the passageway 55,conduit 56, passageway 57, recess 58, and the passageway 76, through thevalve 73 to the return conduit 34. When it is desired to pump slurryonto the exhaust valve seat 17, shut-off valve '78 is closed so as tohold a back pressure upon the orifice 61.

The slurry injecting cycle and purging cycle is controlled by means of asequence controller 79, which when it initiates a slurry injectingcycle, rotates the two-way valve 32 to the position shown in thedrawing, rotates the two-way waste valve 74 to the position shown in thedrawing, closes valve 78 and closes valve 70. The slurry injecting cyclethereafter continues for a predetermined period of time after which thevalve 7% is opened to stop the slurry injecting cycle. Shortlythereafter sequence controller 79 rotates the two-way waste valve 74clockwise 90, opens the shut-off valve 78, and rotates the twoway supplyvalve 32 counterclockwise 90 to communicate water to the slurry systemand thereby purge the same. This continues for a predetermined shortperiod of time following which the sequence controller 79 closes off thewater supply valve 80 to end the purging cycle.

It will be apparent that the objects heretofore enumerated as well asothers have been accomplished and that there has been provided a new andimproved internal combustion engine system which allows the engine toburn sulfur-bearing fuels without producing excessive corrosion of theinternal parts of the engine. This is accomplished by injecting a slurryof a material which is noncatalyzing with respect to the conversion ofsulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide in the engine. Those materials whichare non-catalyzing will be readily apparent to those skilled in the artand these materials will include calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, nickeloxide, sodium carbonate, as well as the other members of the groupcommonly known as the basic oxides. Of the materials mentioned, calciumoxide, magnesium oxide, and nickel oxide are preferred.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail, I do notwish to be limited to the particular embodiments shown and described,and it is my intention to cover hereby all novel adaptations,modifications, and arrangements thereof which come within the practiceof those skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

What I claim is:

1. The method of preventing corrosive attack to internal surfaces offour cycle internal combustion engines of the type having a gas flowpassage that includes a combustion chamber, an intake passage leading tothe top surfaces of said combustion chamber, an intake valve and valveseat controlling said intake passage, an exhaust passage leading fromsaid combustion chamber, an exhaust valve and valve seat controllingflow through said exhaust passage, and a piston which reciprocatestoward and away from the top of said combustion chamber, said methodcomprising: providing means which causes said intake valve and saidexhaust valve to be off of their seats simultaneously for a period oftime when said piston is adjacent the top of said combustion chamber,and providing means which introduces a slurry of a material which isnon-catalytic with respect to the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfurtrioxide into a portion of said gas flow passage when said piston isadjacent the top of said combustion chamber and said intake and exhaustvalves are off of their seats.

2. The method of preventing corrosive attack to internal surfaces offour cycle internal combustion engines of the type having a gas flowpassage that includes a combustion chamber, an intake passage leading tothe top surfaces of said combustion chamber, an intake valve and valveseat controlling said intake passage, an exhaust passage leading fromsaid combustion chamber, an exhaust valve and valve seat controllingflow through said exhaust passage, and a piston which reciprocatestoward and away from the top of said combustion chamber, said methodcomprising: providing means which causes said intake valve and saidexhaust valve to be off of their seats simultaneously for a period oftime when said piston is adjacent the top of said combustion chamber,and providing means which introduces a slurry of a material which isnon-catalytic with respect to the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfurtrioxide into said intake passage when said piston is adjacent the topof said combustion chamber and said intake and exhaust valves are off oftheir seats.

3. The method of preventing corrosive attack to internal surfaces ofinternal combustion engines of the type having a gas flow passage thatincludes a combustion chamber, an intake passage leading to the topsurfaces of said combustion chamber, an intake valve and valve seatcontrolling said intake passage, an exhaust passage leading from saidcombustion chamber, an exhaust valve and valve seat controlling flowthrough said exhaust passage, and a piston which reciprocates toward andaway from the top of said combustion chamber, said method comprising:introducing a slurry of a material which is noncatalytic with respect tothe conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide onto said exhaustvalve seat when said piston is adjacent the top of said combustionchamber.

4. The method of preventing corrosive attack to internal surfaces offour cycle internal combustion engines of the type having a gas flowpassage that includes a combustion chamber, an intake passage leading tothe top surfaces of said combustion chamber, an intake valve and valveseat controlling said intake passage, an exhaust passage leading fromsaid combustion chamber, an exhaust valve and valve seat controllingflow through said exhaust passage, and a piston which reciprocatestoward and away from the top of said combustion chamber, said methodcomprising: providing means which causes said intake valve and saidexhaust valve to be off of their seats simultaneously for a period oftime when said piston is adjacent the top of said combustion chamber,and providing means which introduces a slurry of calcium oxide into aportion of said gas flow passage when said piston is adjacent the top ofsaid combustion chamber and said intake and exhaust valves are off oftheir seats.

5. The method of preventing corrosive attack to internal surfaces offour cycle internal combustion engines of the type having a gas flowpassage that includes a combustion chamber, an intake passage leading tothe top surfaces of said combustion chamber, an intake valve and valveseat controlling said intake passage, an exhaust passage leading fromsaid combustion chamber, an exhaust valve and valve seat controllingflow through said exhaust passage, and a piston which reciprocatestoward and away from the top of said combustion chamber, said methodcomprising: providing means which causes said intake valve and saidexhaust valve to be off of their seats simultaneously for a period oftime when said piston is adjacent the top of said combustion chamber,and providing means which introduces a slurry of magnesium oxide into aportion of said gas flow passage when said piston is adjacent the top ofsaid combustion chamber and said intake and exhaust valves are ofif oftheir seats.

6. The method of preventing corrosive attack to internal surfaces offour cycle internal combustion engines of the type having a gas flowpassage that includes a combustion chamber, an intake passage leading tothe top surfaces of said combustion chamber, an intake valve and valveseat controlling said intake passage, an exhaust passage leading fromsaid combustion chamber, an exhaust valve and valve seat controllingflow through said exhaust passage, and a piston which reciprocatestoward and away from the top of said combustion chamber, said methodcomprising: providing means which causes said intake valve and saidexhaust valve to be off of their seats simultaneously for a period oftime when said pistonis adjacent the top of said combustion chamber, andproviding means which introduces a slurry of nickel oxide into a portionof said gas flow passage when said piston is adjacent the top of saidcombustion chamber and said intake and exhaust valves are off oftheirseats.

7. In an internal combustion engine: a housing forming a combustionchamber, said housing having an intake passage leading to saidcombustion chamben'and an exhaust passage leading from said combustionchamber, an intake 'valve for closing off said intake passage, anexhaust valve seat having an annular-valve seating surface in thesidewalls of said exhaust passage, said valve seat having an annulargroove extending around its valve seating surface, an exhaust valvepoppet for abutment with said annular valve seat, cyclic means forlifting said exhaust valve poppet periodically off of its seat and forthereafter causing said exhaust valve poppet to again engage its seat,and means for injecting a slurry of a material which is non-catalyticwith respect to the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide intosaid annular groove in said-exhaust valve seat'while said exhaust valvepoppet is off of its annular seating surface and just before saidexhaust valve poppet again abuts its annular seating surface.

8. In an internal combustion engine: a housing forming a combustionchamber, said housing having an intake passage leading to saidcombustion chamber and an exhaust passage leading from said combustionchamber, an annular intake valve seat extending around the sidewalls ofsaid intake passage, an intake valve poppet adapted for abutment withsaid intake valve seat, an annular exhaust valve seat extending aroundthe sidewalls of said exhaust passage, an exhaust valve poppet adaptedfor abutment with said exhaust valve seat, a slurry pumping cylinderhousing having a pumping cylinder therein which communicates with atleast a portion of one of said intake and exhaust passages, a slurrydisplacement plunger having one end projecting into said pumpingcylinder, means for admitting slurry into said pumping chamber when saidplunger is withdrawn from said pumping cylinder and for conductingslurry to said exhaust valve when said plunger is moved into saidpumping cylinder, a hydraulic actuating cylinder housing for said slurryplunger, said actuating cylinder housing having ahyclraulic cylinderinto which the opposite end of said slurry plunger projects, a hydraulicdisplacement plunger in the opposite end of said hydraulic actuatingcylinder, cyclic means for reciprocating said hydraulic displacementplunger, a hydraulic fluid supply line for said actuating cylinder, ahydraulic fluid exhaust line from said actuating cylinder, a shut-offvalve in said hydraulic exhaust line, a slurry supply line to saidslurry pumping cylinder, a slurry exhaust line from said slurry pumpingcylinder, cyclic means for actuating said intake and exhaust valves, andcontrol means for periodically closing said shut-off valve to produce atimed pumping of slurry to coat said exhaust valve.

No references cited.

1. THE METHOD OF PREVENTING CORROSIVE ATTACK TO INTERNAL SURFACES OFFOUR CYCLE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES OF THE TYPE HAVING A GAS FLOWPASSAGE THAT INCLUDES A COMBUSTION CHAMBER, AN INTAKE PASSAGE LEADING TOTHE TOP SURFACES OF SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER, AN INTAKE VALVE AND VALVESEAT CONTROLLING SAID INTAKE PASSAGE, AN EXHAUST PASSAGE LEADING FROMSAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER, AN EXHAUST VALVE AND VALVE SEAT CONTROLLINGFLOW THROUGH SAID EXHAUST PASSAGE, AND A PISTON WHICH RECIPROCATESTOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE TOP OF SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER, SAID METHODCOMPRISING: PROVIDING MEANS WHICH CAUSES SAID INTAKE VALVE AND SAIDEXHAUST VALVE TO BE OFF OF THEIR SEATS SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR A PERIOD OFTIME WHEN SAID PISTON IS ADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER,AND PROVIDING MEANS WHICH INTRODUCES A SLURRY OF A MATERIAL WHICH ISNON-CATALYTIC WITH RESPECT TO THE CONVERSION OF SULFUR DIOXIDE TO SULFURTRIOXIDE INTO A PORTION OF SAID GAS FLOW PASSAGE WHEN SAID PISTON ISADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND SAID INTAKE AND EXHAUSTVALVES ARE OFF OF THEIR SEATS.